Placement Officer Contract: Initial 3 months Hours: 35 per week Rate: £25 per hour (umbrella) Location: Merton Council Merton Council are seeking a dedicated Placement Officer to join the Corporate Parenting Service on an interim basis. This role is essential in ensuring children and young people in care are provided with safe, stable, and well-matched placements that meet their individual needs. Key Responsibilities: Identify, source, and commission suitable in-house or external accommodation for looked after children. Carefully match placements to meet each child/young person’s health, education, cultural, ethnic, religious, and therapeutic needs. Screen and present placement resource options to social work teams, including placement details, rates, and package of care review dates. Negotiate costs with providers and commission placements with oversight from managers. Ensure placements comply with all regulations (Ofsted, CQC, etc.). Maintain accurate and timely records on the Mosaic children’s system. Build strong working relationships with providers, internal teams, and partner organisations. Manage notifications, information, and payments linked to placements.About You: Experience in a Placement Officer, Brokerage, or Commissioning role within children’s services. Strong understanding of looked after children’s needs and corporate parenting responsibilities. Knowledge of Ofsted...